Flooding damages several buildings, including Norlin Library and business school

By Brittany Anas Camera Staff Writer

Posted:
09/12/2013 09:30:21 AM MDT

Updated:
09/18/2013 02:30:19 PM MDT

The University of Colorado will remain closed for a second day Friday as Boulder experiences a 100-year flood that has displaced hundreds of family housing residents, and crews have detected water damage in at least 25 percent of campus buildings.

In an effort to keep students inside -- instead of playing on a giant "slip and slide" on Farrand Field and tubing in tunnels like they did Wednesday night -- officials planned games and movie showings in campus buildings Thursday.

Evacuations remain in place for faculty and staff and family housing units, an order that affects Athens Court and the ground floor of Newton Court. In all, the evacuation affects 220 units and about 355 residents.

Twenty-one students in Reed and Crossman halls in the Engineering Quad have been relocated because of flooding on the ground floor. The flooding in some of the rooms was so severe that 11 students will need to relocate permanently.

CU brought contractors in to pump water from the basements of buildings including Fleming, Norlin Library and the electrical engineering building.

Louise Vale, CU's vice chancellor for administration, assured parents Thursday that there have been no reports of missing students or serious injuries.

"The majority of our campus is well above the flood plain and is not at risk of flash flooding," she said. "We want to make sure the buildings are safe before we open them."

Police officers and maintenance crews spent Thursday checking building exteriors, looking for safety hazards. About 40 buildings total are affected by water damage including Norlin and the Koelbel business building.

On the east campus -- near Foothills Parkway and Colorado Avenue -- there is water damage in the Research Lab 2 and Research Lab 4 buildings.

It may take several days to dry out areas with fans.

Police said there was only one report of an injury on campus. A woman broke her ankle while playing on the impromptu "slip and slide" on Farrand Field on Wednesday night.

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